Disaster Assistance for Licensees

TABC stands ready to help businesses impacted by disasters. The information on this page explains how TABC can help. Each form of assistance listed below will indicate if it is applicable to a specific active disaster.

Tropical storms and hurricanes: TABC monitors the situation on the Gulf Coast. If the governor issues a disaster declaration, businesses located in a county covered by the declaration may be eligible for certain regulatory relief. View some of the most common types of relief we offer below.

• Contact information for your nearest TABC office.
• If your office is closed, please contact TABC's Austin headquarters at (512) 206-3333.

This may apply immediately before an expected disaster event, and post-disaster if the products are salvageable (have not been submerged and/or contaminated).

Applicable Disasters: Hurricane Harvey

• Under Section 22.08 and 24.04 of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, the owner of multiple package stores or wine-only package stores may transfer alcoholic beverages between any of the permittee's stores within the same county.
• During a disaster event, these stores may be able to transfer product out of the county. This will allow the store owner to temporarily store product from a location in the declared disaster zone outside of the county from which the product originated.
• Package Store/Wine-Only Package Store permittees may use the Transfer of Products for Package/Wine-Only Package Stores form to notify TABC of the change.
• NOTE: This is only available upon a waiver granted by the Office of the Governor for a specific disaster event.

Applicable Disasters: Hurricane Harvey

• TABC may allow impacted retailers that have multiple retail locations to transfer products between any of its affiliated locations within the state, which may then be sold under the affiliated permit number.
• Retailers may use the Retailer Alcohol Transfer Form to request authorization.
• NOTE: This is only available upon a waiver granted by the Office of the Governor for a specific disaster event.

Applicable Disasters: All

• Businesses in the manufacturing and distribution tiers have statutory authority to transfer products between their locations.
• Distributors and wholesalers also have statutory authority to temporarily relocate their place of business as a result of a natural disaster.

Applicable Disasters: Hurricane Harvey

This may apply immediately before an expected disaster event, and post-disaster if the products are salvageable (have not been submerged and/or contaminated).

• The law does not allow retailers to store their alcoholic beverage inventory away from their retail premises. However, TABC may be able to provide relief to retailers located within a declared disaster area who need to temporarily store their inventory away from their location.
• Qualified retailers may contact TABC’s Audit Division at (512) 206-3400 or your local TABC Office to request authorization.
• NOTE: This is only available upon a waiver granted by the Office of the Governor for a specific disaster event.

• Products that have come in contact with flood waters pose a health risk and are unsuitable for consumer consumption. TABC encourages retailers to take extra precautions to ensure alcohol damaged and/or contaminated flooding is not sold to consumers. The Texas Department of State Health Services has issued guidance on avoiding contaminated products . The Code prohibits retailers from re-packaging alcohol and selling products in containers other than in its original packaging.

• Retailers may use this Unsalvageable Inventory form to notify TABC of unsalvageable inventory.

• The Code prohibits alcoholic beverage manufacturers and local distributors from replacing products that were damaged while in the retailer's possession.

Applicable Disasters:  Tropical Storm Beta, Hurricane Laura

• Alcoholic Beverage Code Section 109.09 authorizes brewers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors to determine whether an uninsured malt beverage product at retail is deemed unfit for consumption. As such the manufacturer or distributor may remove, replace and or dispose of the unfit product from the retailer's inventory in an area declared as a natural disaster determined by the Governor's office.
• NOTE: This is only available for disasters in which the Office of the Governor has issued a disaster declaration.

Applicable Disasters: None

• Section 6.04(a) of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code and TABC Rule 33.6 require license/permit holders to pay a $100 late fee for renewals that occur after the license/permit expires. Additionally, Section 6.04(a) of the Code limits the renewal period to a 30-day grace period after a license/permit expires.
• TABC license/permit holders located in a declared disaster area that have a license/permit that expired 7 days prior to a disaster or up to 30 days after may be eligible to avoid late renewal fees and eligible to renew more than 30 days after their license/permit expired.
• Fill out a Disaster Renewal Period Exception Form and attach that to a completed renewal application form, and then mail both forms along with all appropriate fees and surcharges to TABC.
• NOTE: This is only available upon a waiver granted by the Office of the Governor for a specific disaster event.

Applicable Disasters: All

If your license or permit was lost or destroyed by storm damage, you can request a new copy by filling out and submitting the Request a Copy of a License/Permit form. For help, please contact TABC Licensing at (512) 206-3360.

Applicable Disasters: All

The Code requires upper tier members and brewpubs to file monthly excise tax reports. State law grants the Commission the authority to forgo penalty if failure to file or the making of a late payment is not the fault of the permittee. Permittees affected by a declared disaster will not be penalized if they are unable to file their report and or submit payment by the statutory due date of the 15th of each month. The agency will work with affected permittees to grant extensions as appropriate.

Permittees may use the Excise Tax Assistance form on this page to request TABC assistance.

When disasters occur, TABC recognizes that retailers located in the disaster area may not be able to make timely payments to their distributor(s)/wholesaler(s), which affects the reliability of credit law reports. Similarly, impacted distributors/wholesalers may not be able to timely file their credit law reports of delinquent retailers. In these situations, TABC may use its prosecutorial discretion to withhold administrative sanctions for delinquent reports and payments.

Distributors/wholesalers should exercise discretion in deciding whether to extend credit or COD terms for liquor purchases at any time during a declared disaster period.

When a disaster occurs, specific information and relevant dates will be announced in a timely manner during each disaster.

Applicable Disasters: Hurricane Harvey

• The Code prevents local distributors from selling and/or delivering products to retail customers outside of the county where the distributor is located. However, TABC may allow a local distributor affected by a declared disaster to service, sell, and deliver products to its retail clients from its nearest affiliated store adjacent to the county where the damaged store is located. Contact your regional Audit office for more information.
• Distributors may use the Local Distributors Servicing Accounts in Disaster Area form on this page to report the changes to TABC.
• NOTE: This is only available upon a waiver granted by the Office of the Governor for a specific disaster event.

Applicable Disasters: Hurricane Harvey

• If a beer distributor is not operational as a result of a declared disaster, TABC may be able to allow the distributor to enter into a temporary cross-territorial arrangement to have beer sold and delivered to the affected beer distributor's retail clients by a beer distributor located in an adjacent territory. The affected beer distributor must notify TABC in writing of the temporary arrangement. Contact your regional office for instructions on how to notify TABC of the change.
• NOTE: This is only available upon a waiver granted by the Office of the Governor for a specific disaster event.

TABC has made forms available for businesses needing assistance or those who need to notify TABC about temporary measures taken in the wake of a declared disaster. The forms listed below may be completed and submitted directly to the agency by following the instructions on each form. For assistance, please contact the division listed on the form.

View disaster assistance forms.